Hey There, Allyson
by AusllyxxRauraForever
Summary: Ally moved to New York to study at MUNY. Austin, Dez, and Trish faked her audition because they /wanted/ her to go, but what they hadn't realized was that it's in New York. Austin refused to speak to her, knowing it wouldn't be the same, and fell into a deep depression. What happens when Dez finally gets him to talk to her? (Summary sucks, I know, but the story is better, promise!)
1. Chapter 1

_"Ally, please don't leave. You're... You're everything to me. You can't leave," I said, biting back tears. You just cant. She put her hand on the side of my face._

 _"You know I have to. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I can't pass this up. If you didn't want me to go, then why did you submit a form for me and fake my audition?" she asked me. "I mean, I thought you_ wanted _me to go..."_

 _"I do want you to... I mean, I would... if it weren't in New York. Don't you realize how far away that is?" I asked her. "Won't you miss me?"_

 _"Of course I will! I love you!" She paused. "I mean, you're my best friend. How could I not miss you? I'm going to miss Trish and Dez, too. And my dad. And the mall workers... And Pickles the Goose... And everyone."_

 _"See? You have so many people that you'll miss... and so many people that'll miss you!" I said. I took her hands in mine. "Ally..."_

 _"Austin..." She stared into my eyes for a moment and I thought she was going to say something, but she seemed to think better of it because she shook her head, dropped my hands, and looked away. "I have to get packing," she mumbled._

 _"But―" I started but she cut me off._

 _"Don't, Austin. Just don't." She left the practice room and as soon as I knew she was out of Sonic Boom, I started_ bawling _._

That was about two years ago... or maybe it was one... Whatever, I lost count a long time ago. She tried to video chat me every day, but it wouldn't be the same. So I just deleted my Skype and deactivated my Facebook and everything she could use to get in contact with me. I couldn't take it. It just... wouldn't be the same. I need to see her face to face to talk to her.

I stand in the middle of the practice room now, looking around. It's still the same: the large, yellow A; the fridge, the piano bench... Everything's still here... except for Ally.

Actually, it's not the same at all. Dez and Trish threw a party in Sonic Boom the night Ally left and it's pretty much trashed now. Everything's still here, like I said, it's just trashed and everything's in disarray.

Ally would've cleaned it up, even though the mess wasn't her fault. It would've been good as new the next day.

Sonic Boom closed down. With Ally's mom gone and, well, _Ally_ gone, Lester couldn't keep up with all the customers. So now it's just an abandoned, empty store. Lester has a year-round yard sale that no one really goes to (I mean, really, who goes to _yard sales_ anymore?) going on to sell all the instruments.

He was going to sell the store, along with the instruments, for money but I wouldn't let him. This store holds Ally's and my practice room. The place where the magic happens... happened. I still have a key, of course. Lester said if I wouldn't let him sell it, then I practically owned it. I wasn't going to run it, so I just come here every once in a while. To remember.

Trish is barely ever around anymore. She was only here because of Ally. Her family is always on vacation. The vacations always last for weeks, sometimes even months.

Dez and I don't really talk anymore. He says I'm depressed. Maybe I am. He says Ally was the only thing that kept me alive. Maybe that's true. He video chats with Ally. She talks about me for most of the time they're chatting, or so he says.

When Dez told her I was depressed, she told him to keep an eye on me. That's what Dez told me. He used to keep an eye on me, too, but that stopped a few weeks ago when he realized that I'm not dumb enough to try and kill myself over a stupid girl. _Shut up, Austin. She's not stupid. She's the smartest girl you know._

I know...

But what if I do try to kill myself? If I can't be with the only thing that keeps me alive, then shouldn't I be dead by now?

…

That's enough thinking for today. I'm going in that suicidal direction again. I leave Sonic Boom and lock the front doors. I start to walk home but a girl stops me.

"Hi!" she says. "My name is Sally."

Did she just say her name was Ally? "Hi," I reply, my mind elsewhere. "I'm Austin."

"I know. Well... look, I like you a lot and my friends over there dared me to ask you out and I was really nervous. Sorry, I talk really fast and I also talk a lot when I'm nervous so... Anyway, what I wanted to ask you was... will you go out with me?" she finally asks.

"Sure," I say. She writes her number on my hand and skips away.

 _Wait, what just happened?_

 _I think I missed something..._

 _Whose number is this?_

I look at the three girls scurrying away. One's blond, one's brunette, and one's redheaded.

 _Was it the blond one?_

 _Was her name Sally or Ally?_

 _I guess I'll call her when I get home._

I begin the walk home. Tired of the silence, I call Sally. "Hello?" she answers.

"Hey, it's Austin," I tell her. "I just wanted to call so that you'd have my number and stuff."

"Oh, okay, well... I got it!" she says with a nervous giggle. I laugh, too. I wonder if she could tell it was forced.

"So call me later?"

"Sure," she says and hangs up. Well, now I won't have to worry about calling her. When I get home, I see Dez sitting outside my house. "Dez," I say. "What are you doing here? I thought you just kind of... ditched me."

"Come inside," he says. I follow him inside in a daze. It feels weird to be ushered up to my own room in my own house.

"Is something wrong?" I ask. My mind assumes the worst. "Did something happen to Ally?" His laptop is sitting on my desk and he opens it to reveal Ally's hopeful face.

"Is he here this time?" she asks and my heart breaks at the sound of it. She sounds like she's on the brink of hope. Like they've been doing this for days, and she's just about to give up.

Maybe they _have_ been doing this for days. I've stayed at Sonic Boom for the past couple of days. Maybe Dez waited for me every night and I just didn't come home.

"Yes," Dez says. I shake my head.

"I don't wanna talk to her," I whisper to where I hope his laptop's microphone won't catch it. He clicks something on his laptop and I see a red slash on the microphone picture.

"Why not?" Dez asks.

"She... She left" is all I can say. "She left me, us, all of us."

"She left so that she could 'become a better person,' as she says. You do know that she practically did this for you, right?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask with a roll of my eyes.

"Yeah. She left so that she could get better at every instrument you can play. She left so that she would be less shy, like you are. She left so she could be like you and how you want her to be. She left because you always teased her about only being able to play a few instruments and about not wanting to get onstage," he tells me.

I close my eyes, taking it all in, then I sit down in front of the laptop. "Hey, Ally," I say after turning the microphone back on.

Her eyes light up. "Hey, Austin." She smiles brightly.

"How's MUNY?" I ask and instantly regret it. I realize that I hate that place. I hate it.

"It's okay. I've learned how to play six new instruments," she tells me excitedly. "And there's an Open Mic this Friday after school. I'm thinking about going up... What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea," I say. "You'll do great, I know it."

"Bring my laptop to me later," Dez says before leaving my room.

"I wish I could be there to see you," I say to Ally. "What's it like in New York City?"

"It's pretty much just lights and cars," she tells me. "But it's big. And loud. Times Square is _so_ bright, I literally have to shield my eyes at night. It's crazy. This place makes Miami look like a small, unknown town." She frowns. "I miss you though. I miss everyone. I might come home. It's not just that I miss everyone. It's the bills.

"MUNY doesn't have dorm rooms so I had to use most of the money my dad gave me to get an apartment. It's far away from the school and I have to take a bus in the morning and in the afternoon. And bus fare is really expensive here. I had to take up a job. I work six nights a week after school and..." she trails off, glancing at her watch. "Ooh, that reminds me. I have to get to work. Make a new Skype account and send me a friend request please. I'll call you later. Okay?"

I hesitate. She looks at me with the large eyes she likes to use when she pleads with me. "Okay," I finally agree.

"Thanks, Austin," she says. She smiles sadly. "I really do miss you."

I shake my head, smiling. "Don't miss me. Just two more years and you'll be done with school," I tell her.

Her sad smile turns into a lopsided happy grin. "You're right. I'll see you later, right?" she asks.

"Right," I say. "Bye, Als."

"Bye, Austin," she says and she hangs up. As soon as she does, I close Dez's laptop and tear my room apart, searching for mine. I have to make a new Skype account.

Just one video call sent me head over heels back in love with her. I had almost picked myself up but she just tripped me again. And I fell right on my face. I wish I could've hugged her, caressed her face, something. Something to let me know she was real. I'm just glad she wasn't mad at me for dropping off the face of the earth. She talked to me like she used to. Like we're still best friends. I hope we are.

It hits me how much she's changed. Her hair. It's darker, longer, and wavier. And she was wearing more makeup than she used to; her lips were the perfect shade of red, they seemed much fuller than usual. She was showing a lot more skin than she did a couple of years ago; she was wearing a low-cut V-neck, short-sleeve shirt that said **SHORT GIRLS HAVE MORE FUN** with a winky face emoticon on the front. I didn't like that. I didn't like that at all.

 _Where is my goddamned laptop‽_

 **Hey, guys! No one has voted on the poll but I figured that was because I've lost a crapload of readers due to disappearing. So I went ahead and uploaded this, to see if I can gain some readers back. I hope all my frequent reviewers aren't gone for good... I'll really miss you if you are... But, if you come back, I'll give you a virtual cupcake! And if I gain some new readers, you'll get a virtual cupcake, too!**

 **Here's the first chapter of Hey There, Allyson! It's, like, a variation of the song Hey There, Delilah by the Plain White T's! Anyhoodles, sorry it's so short! It's less than two thousand words. I'm really disappointed in myself. But not to worry. I think I know why it was so short. Most of it was just the flashback and Austin thinking and telling about what's been going on since she left. Only a little of it was the actual story, so... yeah, the next chapter should be longer. Review! :D**

 **LoVe, KeNzIe**

 **P.S. Remember to vote on the poll for the next story while I write this one!**


	2. Chapter 2

It's been about a week now. Ally and I have been video chatting every day. We're doing that right now but she seems different today. I mean, it's a good kind of different but it's still different. And I'm curious.

"You seem extra happy today," I point out with a smile. "Might I ask what the cause of that big, beautiful smile is?"

"It's just my anniversary," she says, blushing a little.

My face falls. "Anniversary?" I ask. I blush a bit myself, embarrassed to have called her smile beautiful. Her _boyfriend_ probably wouldn't be happy about that.

"Well, my 'monthiversary,'" she corrects herself. "It's been six months." She looks down, unable to keep her smile from getting wider.

"Oh," I say. I force a smile. "So when am I going to meet this mystery guy?" I ask, faking happiness.

"Uh..." she says. She glances at her watch. "Any minute now," she says. I raise my eyebrow. I hear a knock. It came from her side of the video chat. She jumps up and runs to the door. "Chad!" I hear her exclaim. I almost scoff. Chad is such a stupid name. She drags him into the screen. He's even uglier than his name. "Chad, this is my best friend, Austin. Austin, this is my boyfriend, Chad."

Glad to know I'm still her best friend. Just not glad to know that I'm still _only_ her best friend.

"Nice to meet you," I mutter.

"You, too," he replies.

"Remember that Open Mic I told you about?" Ally asks me. I nod. "That's what we're doing for our anniversary. We're performing a song together. It was the first song we wrote together." I can't even a force a smile right now. They wrote a song together. I can't even begin to comprehend what that means.

"You wrote a song together," I say, because I don't know what else _to_ say. Well, I know what else to say, but everything else involves screaming and maybe a little bit of crying.

Ally smiles. "Yeah," she says, smiling, sounding reassured. "I thought you were going to freak out about this. But deep down, I knew you'd be totally cool with him being my new songwriting partner." If I'd been drinking something, I'd have done a spit take all over my laptop just to make it short out and break. I don't even want to see her face right now, no matter how beautiful it is. I wait just a moment, wondering if this is a dream.

It's not.

My phone begins to ring and I look down at it. Sally. Two can play at this game. I answer the phone. "Hello? Hold on, Ally," I say. "It's my girlfriend."

" _Girlfriend‽_ " Sally exclaims. "You see me as your girlfriend! Oh, my goodness. Anyway, I just called to make sure you were still on for our date tonight."

"Yep, I'm definitely still on for our date tonight," I say. "See you at Melody Diner, babe."

" _Babe_!" she repeats/squeals and hangs up.

"So when do I get to meet her?" Ally asks me.

"Oh, I don't know," I say with a shrug. I look up at her. "We're usually really busy writing songs together and stuff."

"But you've been video chatting with me all week," she points out.

"Yeah, well, we were... taking a vacation," I lie. She doesn't seem to be jealous or anything. She seems genuinely happy that I'm dating someone.

"Can I hear one of your songs?" Ally asks me.

I mentally facepalm. "Um… sure… right after… I hear one of _your_ songs," I say, moving my hand in front of the screen to indicate Chad and herself.

Ally looks excited and she points across the room. "Chad, bring my keyboard over here!" she exclaims.

My heart constricts. I don't actually want to hear one of their songs… It'll make everything so much more… _real_. As Chad stands, I shout, "No!" They both jump and look at me, confused. "I mean… don't you two have a date to get to? Wouldn't want to be late…"

"Oh, you're right!" Ally says. "Thanks, Austin!" Ally pulls Chad down and plants a quick kiss on his lips. When Chad sits all the way down and puts his hand on her hip, massaging gently, the kiss gets deeper and more passionate.

When he starts to pull her tank top up a little, I squeeze my eyes shut. And here I thought hearing one of their songs would make everything more real. "Talk to you later, Ally, bye," I say quickly, and hang up. A fat tear squeezes out of my eye and rolls down my cheek. I stand up angrily.

Screw Chad and their songs. I have my own date to get to.

Well, that date was boring. We went and saw a movie. I didn't really watch the movie, I just sat there and moped the entire time.

Sally tried to reach over and hold my hand, but I pretended like I didn't see and raised both of my arms to stretch. Then I saw her face fall in the darkness and I felt extremely rude so I put my arm down around her, pulling her close. I saw her smile widely, and it made me kind of happy when she rested her head on my shoulder.

It didn't make me happy because she did that. It actually made me kind of sad, because Ally used to do that when we would stay up late in the practice room. When she was ready to go to sleep, she would lean against me and I would put my arm around her and she would snuggle into me. It was never weirdly romantic. It was just our private thing. Anyway, it made me happy because it seemed to make her extremely happy.

I smiled to myself as I drove her home. Maybe I'm not making Ally happy this way―even though I really want to be―but at least I can make someone happy. "Thanks for taking me out, Austin," she says as I walk her up the steps on her front porch.

I murmur something that sounds like, "No problem."

She opens the door and starts to step inside, but she turns at the last moment, leans up on tiptoes, and kisses my cheek. I don't blush, as I would have if, say, Ally had kissed me, but I do smile.

"Goodnight, Austin," she whispers.

"Goodnight, Sally," I reply.

If I can't be with Ally, maybe I can learn to at least like Sally. She's happy with _Chad_ , I can probably be sort of happy with Sally.

I walk down the steps and drive back home. As soon as I get home and open my laptop, Ally's there, sending me a request to video chat. I accept it and my heart skips a beat as her face flashes across my screen.

"Hey," we say at the same time. We laugh together, almost simultaneously. "How was your date?" We laugh again. "You first."

I roll my eyes, grinning. "Ally! _You_ first! Yours is way more important, you went to an Open Mic!" I say, and her eyes widen a bit when I say "way more important."

Then her face falls. She frowns, staring at the keyboard on her laptop. "I… I didn't do it… not really… I did sing, but I stayed offstage." She looks up at me through her lashes, looking on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry… You're probably so disappointed in me…"

I stare at her, confused, then I remember what Dez said. " _She left so that she could get better at every instrument you can play. She left so that she would be less shy, like you are. She left so she could be like you and how you want her to be. She left because you always teased her about only being able to play a few instruments and about not wanting to get onstage._ "

"Ally… Als… You know I was joking, right?"

She cocks her head to the side. "About what?"

"When I always teased you about being so shy, I was joking. Your shyness is what makes you… Ally. And if you weren't Ally, you wouldn't be my best friend," I tell her. I refrain from adding, _And I wouldn't be head over heels in love with you…_

"Really wish you'd told me that two years ago, Austin…" she whispers. "I've changed a lot…"

"I don't like the way you were dressed when we first started talking again," I murmur. "The whole 'Short Girls Have More Fun' thing… It was advertising something I never want you to be. And… I don't like how much makeup you've been wearing. You have a natural beauty, and that's what I want to see, not makeup." I blush a bit as I realize what I've just said.

"Chad likes it…" Ally replies, still whispering.

"I don't _care_ what _Chad_ likes," I say angrily, my voice still low. "You don't need makeup to be beautiful and if he doesn't realize that, then he doesn't deserve to be with you."

"He says I'm more beautiful with makeup than without it," she whispers.

I stare at her in the tiny box on my screen for a moment. "Ally… does Chad abuse you?" I ask. "Emotionally, I mean?"

Ally laughs, a little ruefully. "Emotionally?" she says. She laughs again, muttering, "Why do you think I wear so much makeup?" and she jumps suddenly as there's a knock on her door. She smooths her hair down and says, "Come in!" She looks at me and says, "That's probably Chad…" I stare at her, dumbfounded. Did he just tell me that Chad hits her? When the devil himself walks in and sits his happy ass down next to Ally, my eyes flare with anger, and Ally must see that, because she says, "Well, Chad's spending the night, I'll talk to you later, Austin," nervously. She hangs up quickly, as if knowing I'm about unleash hell on Chad.

I slam my laptop shut and glare at the lid for a moment. "Who the hell does he think he is?" I mutter to my laptop. And he's spending the night? I wonder…

Has he taken my sweet Allyson's innocence?

Then I shake my head.

1\. She's not _my_ Ally.

2\. If she was _my_ Ally, she would still have the innocence. I wouldn't make her do anything until marriage, because I know that's what she always wanted.

I shake my head. I'm going to kill Chad.

I jerk awake in the morning. I dreamt that Chad made Ally stop talking to me, because he was jealous. It broke my heart, and I wonder if that was how Ally felt, when I ignored all of her calls, texts, messages, emails, and chat requests.

I shake my head and look around, confused, as I hear a faint ringing sound. I realize it's coming from my laptop and I walk over to it, opening the lid. Huh, for some reason, it didn't go into sleep mode when I slammed it shut last night. Anyway, I see that Ally is the source of the ringing.

Good, I wanted to talk to her anyway. I need to make sure she'll never leave me just because Chad tells her to.

I accept the call and Ally appears on my screen, looking happy as ever. Chad is nowhere to be seen. "Ally, I need you to promise me something," I say immediately.

"A-Anything." She looks nervous. She looked extremely happy not two seconds ago.

"Promise me you'll never leave me just because Chad is jealous of our… friendship," I request.

"Actually, Austin, um…"

"No." Tears spring to my eyes. "Ally, no. No. _No_. I lost you once, and it was my own fault, I will _not_ lose you again."

She acts like she didn't hear me. "I need to tell you something… before I stop speaking to you…" Ally takes a deep breath, looking away. She bites her lip hard then nods to herself, as if she's made a decision, and looks up at me. "Austin, I love you. As more than just a friend. I love you… in _that_ way… I was going to tell you the night I left, but… I just didn't have the courage. I was too afraid of rejection… Now…" She sighs. "Now it doesn't matter.

"I'll probably never speak to you or see you again." She laughs ruefully. "Wouldn't want another one of these…" She points to her eye and, for the first time, I notice it's ringed slightly with a purplish, blackish blue. She looks down, looking embarrassed. I shake my head, refusing to believe it. "I almost wish… I almost wish I'd told you that night… even if you had rejected me. If you had rejected me, I would've believed there was nothing I could do to change your mind.

"I wouldn't have come here, I wouldn't have met Jeremy at that freshman party, I wouldn't have let him get me so drunk…" She drops her voice to a whisper and says, "I wouldn't have lost my virginity to a boy I didn't love… I wouldn't have woken up the next day, naked and plastered all over the internet. I wouldn't have dated all those guys I knew only wanted me for my body. I wouldn't have started dating Chad.

"I'd still be in Miami," she says, looking up at me again, "with you. I'd still be writing your songs. I'd still be subtly nuzzling my face into your neck when we hug. I'd still be fantasizing about you confessing your undying love for me. I'd still be wishing you were mine. I'd still be your friend, at the very least. I'd still have you.

"And who knows? Maybe you wouldn't have rejected me. Hell, if you told me, right now, that you loved me with all your heart… I swear, I'd run away. Back to Miami. I'd drop out of school _right now_ , and come back to you. I'd come back, hug you as tight as I could, and kiss you as hard as I could. I'd tell you I love you a thousand times." She looks up at me, her eyes full of hope.

My mouth drops open. She loves me. Oh, the years I've waited to hear those words from her. And mean them in _that way_. I open my mouth, but the words just won't come out. _I love you, too! Say the words, Austin! Say them! Right now! Austin! Austin, please!_

Ally just sighs. "I understand, Austin, I'm sorry… I just…" She sighs again. "I know it was stupid, but I really had hope. But we're two different people. How could you even _like_ someone like me? I'm just a stupid, shy, ugly, fat, worthless little girl who doesn't even deserve her life. Chad was right. I'm sorry for wasting your time, Austin. Goodbye…"

"Wait, Ally!" I manage to exclaim. God, that's what that asshole says to her? I need to kick his ass… Ally looks up at me, hopeful once more. I squeeze my eyes shut. _Don't be so afraid of rejection anymore. She_ just _told you she loves you!_ "I love you, too… I love you so much. You're the most amazing girl I've ever met in my entire life, shyness and all. It's adorable how shy you are.

"And yeah, you were subtle, but I always noticed your nuzzling. And I loved every second, no, every _millisecond_ of it. You know, when you fell asleep in the practice room after we'd stayed up late writing a song, I always brushed your hair out of your face and kissed your forehead, and whispered to you to have sweet dreams. I always wanted to kiss your lips, but I figured it was kind of creepy, so I never did. God, I wish I had.

"I also wish you hadn't given your virginity to that Jeremy kid. I wanted it. We would've waited, of course, because that's what you always wanted. Ally, I wanted to marry you. I still want to marry you. I wanted you to be mine, forever and always. Ally Dawson, I love…" I trail off as I open my eyes and see…

The call was dropped. Three minutes ago. _No._

I call her back. Almost as soon as it starts ringing, it stops. She rejected my call. I try again. Same result. _Ally,_ please _, answer me._ Tears start streaming down my face. _God, please tell me she at least heard that first sentence_ , I think as I call her once more. I stop as I realize, _She couldn't have heard me. She would've answered my call._

 _Maybe she just―_

Stop. Don't make excuses. She didn't hear you, and she never will.

 _Or will she?_

 **Okay, I'm a lot happier with the length of this chapter. I'm not necessarily happy with the content, but definitely happy with the length. I didn't mean to make her dumb boyfriend abusive. But I wrote it, and it was too late to go back. Anyways, sorry if you think it's bad. It's 5:47 in the morning as I'm writing this and I actually haven't slept yet. I didn't go to sleep until around this time yesterday, too. I'm really tired. I haven't stayed up this late since last summer. Well, I've stayed up this late since last summer, but not two nights in a row. Anyway, I'm sorry if you don't like what I'm doing, but you'll just have to deal with it. It'll get better. It always gets better. Review, please! Reviews make me happy.**

 **Also, don't forget to vote on the poll! It's on my profile page.**

 **Sorry again.**

 **Goodnight/morning/evening/afternoon/whatever it is for you.**

 **LoVe, KeNzIe**


	3. Chapter 3

I race down the stairs and over to Dez's house. I walk right inside, as his mom always told me this was my home too, and up the stairs to Dez's room. His mom stops me in the hall. "Oh, Austin, honey, I haven't seen you in years! I was starting to think Dez lost his only real friend!" she says.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Wade," I say, "I'd never leave Dez." _Not forever, at least._ Jeez, have I really not been around since Ally left? I move past her and walk into Dez's room.

"You really mean it, buddy?" he asks me. "You'd never leave me?" He looks close to tears.

"What?" I ask, sitting down next to him on his bed. "Of course I wouldn't. You know I've had some stuff going on, and that's why I've been so distant. You're my best friend, and you always will be. Dez, I love you." I hug him, hard. I'd forgotten how sensitive Dez was. I never should've done this to him.

He cries softly into my shoulder for a bit before saying, "I love you, too, man," and pulling away. He dries his tears and clears his throat. "So, uh, what's up? Did something happen with Ally?"

I tell him the whole story, starting with her dumb abusive boyfriend and ending with our declarations of love.

"Wait, Chad abuses her?" he asks. "I thought it was just emotional."

"Wait, you knew?" I ask, my mouth dropping open.

"Of course I knew," Dez tells me. "He'd do it in front of me sometimes. He thinks I'm so much of an idiot that I can't comprehend what he's doing. And it was always subtle things anyway. Like, 'You look kinda fat in that dress' and 'You need more makeup.' Ally broke down and told me the extent of it one night. How she believes everything he tells her now.

"Austin, she was suicidal. She believed Chad when he told her she didn't deserve to be alive. I was pretty much the only thing that kept her alive. I hope you don't mind, but while we video chatted, I'd casually let it slip that she was one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen. And when she asked me how she looked in a dress, I'd say she could stand to put on a few pounds but otherwise, she looked great. I'd try to subtly counteract all of Chad's abusive words," he explains, "not just for Ally, but for you. I knew you were slightly suicidal. If Ally died, I knew I'd lose you, too. I didn't want to lose you any more than I already had."

I reach over and hug him again, harder than before. "Dez, thank you so much. Thank you for keeping my Ally alive. Well, not _my_ Ally, but…"

He cuts me off by pulling away from me and shaking his head. "And when you came back, she didn't even need that anymore. She just shrugged it off with a smile every time he'd say something mean." He sees my look of confusion and adds, "We video chatted every time you were on a date with Sally, or if you went to bed before her." I nod in understanding. "But I can't believe she never told me he hits her. I would've went and gotten you and dragged you to New York. Maybe even left you behind if I thought I could take Chad on my own."

"Dez, you're like the big brother she always wanted," I point out with a small laugh. I smile at him and hug him once more. "But okay, I need your help now. Chad's forbidden Ally to talk to me, and I need to call her on your laptop, because I don't think she heard me tell her I love her. I'm pretty sure the call dropped before I said anything. And now she won't answer my calls."

Dez is already pulling out his laptop and handing it to me. I open it up and pull up Skype, going to Ally's and hesitating on the call button.

"You know, Dez… I think you might actually be the wisest person I know."

He smiles sheepishly at me, as if this is the greatest compliment he's ever gotten, and says, "Just call her, dude."

So I do. It rings for a few moments before she answers. "Hey, Dez," she says casually, before the video kicks in and she sees me. She just frowns. "Austin, you know I'm not allowed to speak to you," she says.

"But, Ally, I _do_ love you!" I exclaim.

She just shakes her head. "You just feel bad for me. You want me to leave Chad and come back. I know you care about me, but I also know it's only as a friend. I can accept that. I can handle him, Austin, I just don't want to have to," and then she's gone.

I call her back. She rejects it. I fall back on Dez's bed. "What am I gonna do?" I ask him. "She doesn't believe I actually love her…"

"Write her a song," Dez replies simply.

"Write her a song?" I ask. "But… what will that do?"

"You can't write songs, you know that," he says. "And she knows that, too. If you write her a song, she'll know that you really do love her."

"Dez, you're a genius," I say. "But… what if I can't do it?"

"You can… I know you can… Now go home and get started," Dez says.

"You really are the best friend ever," I say, hugging him again.

* * *

I sit back on my bed, strumming on my acoustic guitar.

 _Hey there, Ally_

I stop immediately. That sounds stupid. I start playing and try again.

 _Hey there, Allyson_

I nod to myself and keep going.

 _What's it like in New York City?_

I remember the pain I felt when I asked her how MUNY was. I shake my head and continue.

 _I'm a thousand miles away_

 _But, girl, tonight you look so pretty_

 _Yes, you do…_

I roll my eyes at myself. Tonight? Try every night. She even makes bruises look like an accessory. I shiver. _Bruises shouldn't mar my beautiful Ally's skin._

 _Times Square can't shine as bright as you_

 _I swear it's true…_

I lie back against my pillows. How does Ally do this? It took so much out of me. I sigh. But it's worth it. I just need to close my eyes for a second… I'll finish the song in a minute…

I wake up hours later from a nightmare. It was from Ally's point of view, I was Ally.

 _I had just gotten through my first day at MUNY and as soon as I got home, I wanted to call Austin to tell him how great it was. I made a bunch of new friends! I even got invited to a party! Some guy slapped my butt, but it was okay because he said it was just an accident!_

 _I called Austin and he didn't answer. In fact, you know how Skype usually rings a crapload of times before realizes the other person isn't going to answer? It only rang twice. Then Austin got offline. It wasn't until I tried to call again the next day that I realized he'd deleted his account. Either that or he blocked me._

 _I tried so many different things. Text, calling, email… I was blocked on everything. I think he even changed his number. God, I cried for hours. It hurt so much, knowing he wanted nothing to do with me._

 _Then my heart broke. Literally. My heart shattered inside my chest. I clawed my chest open and pulled out the shattered remains. My heart was black. And I don't know how I knew, but my soul was black, too. My heart shards fluttered to the floor as I watched, and Austin appeared in front of me, stomping on them. But I didn't care. It was at that moment that I changed completely._

 _I decided I'd give myself up to every guy who wanted me. I'd sell my body for the love Austin never gave me. For the love I'd always wanted so desperately. I screamed as something began to slither out of my chest. Its body got bigger as more came out. It soon became too big for the hole I'd clawed, and it began to claw a bigger hole. The darkness consumed me, covering my whole body and squeezing tightly. It's sad, though, this pain was nothing compared to the heartbreak Austin caused._

I was grateful when I woke up, needless to say. God, it's horrible to know that that exact thing happened to Ally when I cut her off. Well, maybe not the parts where she pulled her heart out of her clawed-open chest or where that monster came out of her chest.

Well, what the hell do I know? Maybe it felt that way to her.

I shake my head to clear the thought and look down at the guitar that's still resting on my lap. I start strumming again and sing.

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _What's it like in New York City?_

 _I'm a thousand miles away_

 _But, girl, tonight you look so pretty_

 _Yes, you do…_

 _Times Square can't shine as bright as you_

 _I swear it's true…_

God, why wasn't I there for her? The only thing that should've been causing her heartbreak was the distance…

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _Don't you worry about the distance_

 _I'm right there if you get lonely_

 _Give this song another listen_

 _Close your eyes…_

I stop there, thinking, curious. Sometimes, when we were video chatting, she'd close her eyes for minutes at the time. She'd continue talking, as normal, but her eyes were closed. I remember she always had her window open, too, and the wind outside would always blow her hair a little bit. Somehow, it made her look even more beautiful than usual. When I asked her about closing her eyes, though, she just shook her head, said, "Hmm…" and continued the conversation. I wonder if she was pretending we were together…

 _Listen to my voice, it's my disguise_

 _I'm by your side…_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me_

 _What you do to me_

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _I know times are getting hard_

 _But just believe me, girl_

 _Someday, I'll pay the bills with this guitar_

I stop again. Why the hell didn't I ever send her any money? I didn't have too much money on my own, as I'd spent it paying the bills for Sonic Boom, but I still had some to spare.

 _We'll have it good…_

 _We'll have the life we knew we would_

 _My word is good…_

My eyes widen suddenly and I drop my guitar on my bed, running down the hall to my parents' room. I knock on the door quickly and open the door. "Mom, Dad, I need to borrow some money," I say immediately.

"No," my dad says promptly, but my mom gets up out of bed, hurrying over to me, throwing her arms around me.

"Oh, Austin! God, it's been almost two years since I've seen you look like yourself! Is Ally coming back soon?" she asks.

"No, that's actually what I need money for," I say, looking around her at Dad. "Dad, you don't understand, I _need_ to borrow some money. I need to go visit Ally. I need a plane ticket or I need you to drive me down there." I look between them, desperately.

"I'm sorry, Austin, but the Kingdom isn't doing so well," my dad says to me. "We're struggling to pay the bills right now… Plane tickets are almost three hundred dollars and it would take way too much gas to go to New York _and_ back. Besides, we can't leave the Kingdom unattended. You can go, if you can find the money, but we can't spare any for you. Not even for Ally. I'm sorry."

"What about a train?" I ask. "Trains are a little less expensive than planes, right?"

"From Miami to New York?" he asks. "Maybe fifty dollars less or so…" He pauses. "You really want to go?" he asks. I nod vigorously. "Come up with the rest of the money, for the plane or the train, and we'll give you a hundred of it."

"Really‽" I ask. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" I hug my mom tightly then run over to my dad and hug him tightly, before running out the door and down the stairs.

"Austin, where are you going‽" my mom calls after me. "It's eleven o'clock at night!"

"He's always awake!" I call back to them. I've never been so grateful for the fact that Dez has insomnia.

* * *

I knock on his door loudly and I hear it echo throughout the silent house inside. Dez opens the door moments later, looking wide awake. "Come in," he says, looking a little confused. I follow him up to his room, still out of breath from running over here. He hands me a bottle of water and I drink about half of it, nodding my thanks. "So what's up?" he asks.

"Well… how much money do you have saved up?" I ask him, feeling awkward having to ask him for money.

"About a hundred dollars, maybe," he says. "I was saving it for a rainy day. Why?"

"I've decided to go see Ally."

"What, you couldn't write a song?" he asks, smirking a bit.

I find myself smiling as well. "I started it, actually, I just want to sing it in person. And my dad can't spare the money to get me a plane ticket, and a train ticket is slightly less expensive. He's going to give me a hundred dollars, and I have about fifty left over from having to pay the bills at Sonic Boom. So… i-if you let me borrow that hundred you have, I'll have just enough for a train ticket… I'll pay you back, I promise!" I add quickly.

Dez just looks at me. "You don't have to pay me back," he says. "Forecast calls for thunderstorms."

* * *

I run home after taking Dez's money and giving him _another_ huge hug. I go into my parents room and throw all the money on their bed, a hundred and fifty dollars. I stare at them expectantly.

"Mimi, let's run to an ATM, put the money in, and give Austin the debit card number so he can order it online."

* * *

At 11:40 the next morning, I stand in the train station with my parents and Dez, saying goodbye. I hug Dez first, because he's already bawling. "Dez, I'll only be gone for a little while. I'll go to New York, win Ally back, get a job, raise enough money for two train tickets back to Miami, and Ally and I will be back here. It shouldn't take more than a few weeks."

"I know, it's just… I'm gonna miss you!" he sobs.

"I wish you could go with me," I say, hugging him tighter. I pull away from him and turn to my parents. My dad looks on the verge of tears and my mom already has tears slipping silently down her face. "Mom, Dad, please don't cry. Like I said, I'll only be gone a few weeks."

"I… I'm not crying because I'll miss you," my mom says. "I mean, I definitely will miss you, but I'm crying more because… Oh, honey, I'm just so proud of you." And she doesn't say anything else, because she starts shaking uncontrollably with sobs in my arms. These tears actually seem like the I'm-going-to-miss-you-so-much tears.

My dad pulls her away from me and into his arms, shushing her and caressing her hair. "Austin…" he says, turning to me. A tear escapes his eye. I sigh and rush into his arms, wrapping one arm around him and the other around Mom, silently telling him that he need not say more.

I pull away after a bit and stand back to look at all three of them. "I'm really gonna miss you guys…" I say, glancing at my phone to see it's 11:47. The train leaves at 11:50. "I love you, and I'll see you in a week… Bye, guys…" Before I leave, my dad gives me a bit of money for food.

I turn away from them and pull my suitcase with my left hand and hold my guitar case with the other. I walk to the train and get on.

* * *

They wouldn't let me keep my guitar with me. I almost screamed, threw a fit. That guitar is my baby, and if anything happened to it…

They assured me it would be safe, so I let it go. Ally's more important.

I sit in the window seat. I pull the table thing down and rest my notebook on top of it, pulling out my pencil. A few minutes after I boarded, a black-haired girl came and sat down next to me. "Hi," she says, turning to me. I simply nod. "I'm Rebecca."

"Austin," I reply, as the train starts moving.

"Do you wanna come with me to the dining car and get some lunch?" she asks.

"I'm not really hun—" At that moment, my stomach lets out a groaning sound similar to a whale. _Thanks._

"Your stomach says otherwise," Rebecca says with a laugh.

I force one as well. "Guess I am hungry, then."

In the dining car, we sit and look at a menu. "I think I'm gonna get this Chef's Marketplace Special," she tells me. "It sounds pretty good. How about you?"

"This Angus Steak Burger, I guess," I reply. We order our food and things get really awkward when it comes. Rebecca tries to make small talk, but I give her half-hearted responses. She gets frustrated, sad, and annoyed all at the same time. We walk back to our seats in awkward silence.

 _A thousand miles seems pretty far_

 _But they've got planes and trains and cars_

 _I'd walk to you if I had no other way…_

"Is that a song?" I hear Rebecca ask. I turn the notebook over quickly. Now I see why Ally gets so mad about her songbook. "I'm sorry, I just saw…" She leans her head back, looking sleepy.

"No, it's fine. Yeah, it's a song."

"For your girlfriend?" she asks.

I'm about to answer, but I look up to see that she's asleep. I shrug and continue to write.

We eat dinner together that night and make our way back to our seats. She leans back again, and when I think she's asleep, I start to sing softly to myself.

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _What's it like in New York City?_

 _I'm a thousand miles away_

 _But, girl, tonight you look so pretty_

 _Yes, you do…_

 _Times Square can't shine as bright as you_

 _I swear it's true…_

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _Don't you worry about the distance_

 _I'm right there if you get lonely_

 _Give this song another listen_

 _Close your eyes…_

 _Listen to my voice, it's my disguise_

 _I'm by your side..._

 _Oh, it's what you do to me_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me_

 _What you do to me_

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _I know times are getting hard_

 _But just believe me, girl_

 _Someday, I'll pay the bills with this guitar_

 _We'll have it good…_

 _We'll have the life we knew we would_

 _My word is good…_

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _I've got so much left to say_

 _If every simple song I wrote to you_

 _Would take your breath away_

 _I'd write_ —

My phone starts ringing and I look down at it. Oh, God…

It's Sally.

 **Updated twice in one day! Is anyone proud of me‽ … No? Oh… okay… well, this is awkward… :/ Anyway, I really did update twice in one day. It took me way too long to write it, because I did a lot of research concerning Austin's train ticket. I literally went through and ordered a train ticket from Miami to New York City but stopped at the last step where I had to put in a phone number, email, and credit card information. The ticket was 246 dollars, it left at 11:50 on June 23rd, and they ordered actual things from the menu. Shows how much of a life I have, huh? I'm uploading around 11:55, but you might not get an email until tomorrow. I get emails when my own stories are uploaded, and I keep getting emails hours after I upload the chapter. Like, it was completely the next day on the last chapter. Weird, huh? It used to only take about thirty minutes. Anyways, review please!**

 **LoVe, KeNzIe**

 **P.S. 3336 WORDS! WHOO!**


	4. Chapter 4

"Uh, hello?" I answer.

"Hey, baby! I, um… You haven't called, is everything okay?"

… How do I tell her I'm on a train going to New York City to confess my love for another girl and bring her home?

How do I break up with her over the phone?"

 _Apply blunt force._

"Well, you see, I'm on a train. I'm going to New York because I'm head over heels in love with my best friend, and I have to tell her that."

"But… I'm your girlfriend," Sally replies.

"Not anymore."

I can almost _hear_ her mouth open in shock.

Then my senses kick in. I was just the biggest dick in the whole world. "Sally?" I say.

"What?" she replies, her voice full of tears.

"I'm sorry, I… I've never had to break up with anyone over the phone, and… it doesn't seem real because I can't see your face. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to be so rude. I'm sorry it didn't work out, I know you were really happy, but you're beautiful. It won't take long to find your Prince Charming."

Sally just sighed, and hung up. I put my phone down on the table. God, I'm such an asshole…

"That's romantic," Rebecca murmurs in her sleep. Well, maybe not in her sleep, but it's obvious that she's half-asleep.

"What is?"

"Going to New York to confess your love for your best friend," she says.

"Yeah… What are you going for?" I ask her.

"My brother's in New York," she tells me. "I'm going to congratulate him for doing so well at MUNY."

"MUNY?" I ask. "My best friend goes there."

"Cool," she replies, "maybe we can all get together and have some sort of party."

 _No, thanks._ "Yeah, sounds good," I say, then add, "maybe."

"So what's your friend's name?" Rebecca asks me. "Maybe my brother knows her."

"Ally," I reply. "Ally Dawson."

"That's his girlfriend's name…"

"Please tell me you're joking," I say.

"I am, sort of. He told me they broke up and he's dating some other girl named Amanda now," she says. "Has Ally ever talked about anyone named Chad?"

"She… She's dating Chad now…" I murmur, sounding horrified.

"Impossible, they broke up three months ago," Rebecca tells me.

"No, I just spoke to _both of them_ a few days ago and it was their _six-month anniversary_ , Rebecca," I say.

"My brother… No, Chad isn't a cheater…" she says, refusing to believe it. She's fully awake now and sitting up.

"He's a cheater _and_ a beater," I reply to her. Ugh, that sounded better in my head. "He hits Ally, physically and emotionally. That's most of the reason I'm going up there, to save her from your asshole brother."

"Austin, you're a liar! My brother wouldn't hit any woman! Or cheat on anyone! He's better than that!"

" _I saw the bruises and the black eyes!_ " I shout. Everyone in our car looks over at us and I lower my voice. "Rebecca, it's true. I know I'm just a stranger, but you have to believe me. I'm telling the truth. Ally would never lie, especially not to me."

She just rolls her eyes. "Yeah, whatever, I'll believe it when I see it." She turns away from me in her seat and closes her eyes. I start writing again.

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _I've got so much left to say_

 _If every simple song I wrote to you_

 _Would take your breath away_

 _I'd write it all_

 _Even more in love with me you'd fall_

 _We'd have it all_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me_

 _What you do to me_

 _A thousand miles seems pretty far_

 _But they've got planes and trains and cars_

 _I'd walk to you if I had no other way_

 _Our friends would all make fun of us_

 _And we'll just laugh along because_

 _We know that none of them have felt this way_

 _Allyson, I can promise you_

 _That by the time that we get through,_

 _The world will never ever be the same_

 _And you're to blame..._

I stand outside of Ally's apartment. I left Rebecca at the station. We exchanged numbers, however, and she promised to call after she spoke to Chad. I look up, wondering if I should do this. Her window is open, as it always is. I suddenly have another wonder: if Chad is here.

"Ally!" I whisper-yell. Ally's little brunette head pops out of the window. She's wearing a white T-shirt (probably Chad's, as it's too big for her tiny body) with nothing underneath, I believe.

"Austin?" she says, her eyes widening in disbelief as she sees me. "No way… Austin, what the hell are you doing here‽"

"You wouldn't answer my calls!" I call back.

"You didn't have to come all the way to New York!" she exclaims, but quietly. "It must have cost you a fortune to drive all the way here!"

"Drive?" I ask. "Ally, I took a train."

"A train?" Her face softens for a second. "I've never been on a train. Was it nice?"

"Yeah… It was cool, I guess," I reply. "I didn't come here to talk about trains, Als."

"You shouldn't've come here at all!" she says. She throws a glance over her shoulder. "Look, Austin, you need to leave."

"Not before I do this," I say. I put down my suitcase and pull my guitar strap over my head and onto my shoulder.

"Oh, God, Austin, no, really, you should go," Ally says to me.

But I ignore her and start playing.

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _What's it like in New York City?_

 _I'm a thousand miles away_

 _But, girl, tonight you look so pretty_

 _Yes, you do…_

 _Times Square can't shine as bright as you_

 _I swear it's true…_

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _Don't you worry about the distance_

 _I'm right there if you get lonely_

 _Give this song another listen_

 _Close your eyes…_

 _Listen to my voice, it's my disguise_

 _I'm by your side…_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me…_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me…_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me…_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me_

 _What you do to me…_

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _I know times are getting hard_

 _But just believe me, girl_

 _Someday, I'll pay the bills with this guitar_

 _We'll have it good…_

 _We'll have the life we knew we would_

 _My word is good…_

 _Hey there, Allyson_

 _I've got so much left to say_

 _If every simple song I wrote to you_

 _Would take your breath away_

 _I'd write it all…_

 _Even more in love with me you'd fall_

 _We'd have it all…_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me…_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me…_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me…_

 _What you do to me…_

 _A thousand miles seems pretty far_

 _But they've got planes and trains and cars_

 _I'd walk to you if I had no other way…_

 _Our friends would all make fun of us_

 _And we'll just laugh along because_

 _We know that none of them have felt this way…_

 _Allyson, I can promise you_

 _That by the time that we get through_

 _The world will never ever be the same_

 _And you're to blame…_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me…_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me…_

 _Oh, it's what you do to me…_

 _Oh_

 _It's what you do to me…_

 _What you do to me…_

Ally smiles, looking as if she's about to cry. "Austin, that was… beautiful…" Her face falls, looking behind me. "Austin, look out!" she shouts. I spin around, slipping my guitar back over my neck. I quickly set it down on the ground as Chad lunges at me. I quickly step to the side, caught off-guard, my eyes wide.

"Chad, I―" I start, but he cuts me off with a punch that catches my jaw. I bend over slightly, rubbing it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, singing to _my_ girlfriend?!" he asks me.

Carefully moving out of the way each time he throws another punch, I begin to speak again, "Ally's your girlfriend? Hm, that's not what Rebecca said last night."

"You fucked my little sister?" he asks, shouting now.

My eyes grow wide and I throw a glance up to Ally, who looks hurt and horrified all at once. I look back at Chad just in time to see his fist connect with the side of my eye. Pain explodes behind it. I quickly scan my last sentence to see where he got me having sex with his sister from.

Oh, he must've thought I was making a "That's not what *insert female pronoun here* said last night" joke, a sexual joke. I shake my head hard and fast, making it spin because of the pain. "No! No! You've got it all wrong! We didn't have sex! She sat next to me on the train!" I glance up at Ally. "I didn't have sex with anyone, Ally, I've―"

"Austin, watch out!" she shouts, as Chad hooks a leg under one of my own and knocks me off my feet. He quickly drops down on top of me and draws back, his fist hovering in the air, waiting to punch me.

"Seriously, I didn't have sex with Rebecca! She said you were dating some girl named Aman―"

"You shut your fucking mouth," Chad says, fear flashing through his eyes before quickly replacing it with anger again, and brings his fist down. I think he just broke my nose.

"Amanda?" Ally calls down, her voice smaller than a flea. "You're cheating on me with the only girl who bothered to be my friend?"

The sadness in Ally's voice―and no doubt in her eyes and heart―makes me want to kill this guy (more than I already wanted to), gives me the strength to do so.

I grab Chad's knee and force it upward, flipping him over onto his back. I straddle him, throwing and landing punch after punch. His face is soon bloody and bruised.

" _Stop!_ " someone shrieks. Our gazes, Chad's and mine and probably also Ally's, snap up and we see Rebecca standing about ten feet from us.

"Becca?" Chad says. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" she repeats, glaring down at him. "What are _you_ doing here? Was Austin right? Are you cheating on Amanda with this girl? Ally?"

Chad shoves me off of him, standing up and walking toward Rebecca. I stand up as well. "Rebecca…" He glances back and up at Ally. "Ally…" He looks back down at Rebecca. "You know I would never―"

She recoils and backs away with a look of horror on her face. "If Austin was right about that… have you been beating Ally too?"

" _Beating?_ " Chad sounds genuinely shocked. "I would never hurt any girl ever, not in any way. Come on, Becca, you know me better than that." He holds his hand out to her, reaching for her hand.

"Don't touch me," she says, looking disgusted with her brother. "Don't touch me, and don't touch Ally. I'm calling Dad so he can come down here and kick your ass. If there was one thing Dad taught us, one thing Dad _drilled into our heads_ , it was to never, _ever_ lay your hands on a woman." Rebecca turns on her heel and stalks off in the other direction. Chad runs after her, spluttering and begging for her not to call their dad.

I hear Ally sigh and I look up at her. "Second floor, fourth door on the left" is all she says before moving away from the window, shutting it. I pick up my suitcase and my guitar case and make my way to my Ally. I push the door open and step into the dark room. Ally is standing a few feet from the door, her head down.

I set my things down quietly just inside the door, kicking it closed behind me. "Als…" I step forward and she sniffles. "I'm so sorry." I turn her around and she thrusts herself into my arms. My shirt is soaked within seconds. "He―"

"I don't want to talk about him," she says into my chest. "I just… want to sleep."

"Okay… um… Can I sleep on your couch?" I ask, nodding my head toward the corner even though she can't see me. "I saw a hotel on my way over here, but it said no vacancies."

Ally just shakes her head, then looks up at me. "Can I… Can I trust you to sleep in my bed?" she asks.

"Trust me?" I ask, then I realize what she means. She's afraid I'll… take advantage of her. I smooth her hair down. "Of course you can trust me," I whisper. "But this is bothering me…" I push her away from me slightly. I turn around and reach into my suitcase, pulling out a gray T-shirt. "Here, can you put this on?"

She takes it from me and nods. Without going to the bathroom or even turning around, she starts to pull the T-shirt off.

"Uh…" escapes me and I look away from her. A few moments later, she starts pulling me to her bed. She turns and grabs the bottom of my shirt, pulling it up and over my head. "Um, Ally… I… I don't…" But she doesn't stop. She drops her hands and unbuckles my belt, pulling it out of its loops. "Als…" I whisper. She unbuttons and unzips my pants, pulling them down. She stops awkwardly with my pants around my ankles, and looks up at me.

"I… I thought you'd be more comfortable like this…" she says, and turns around, climbing into her bed. She holds the blanket up, waiting for me to crawl under. When I do, she pulls it up around both of us, then snuggles into my chest. I reflexively wrap my arms around her, smiling to myself. "You didn't look at me while I changed," she murmurs.

"That would've been disrespectful…" I reply. "Listen, Ally, you don't have to stay at MUNY, not with Chad. I loved… _love_ you just the way you are… were… shyness and all… Do you want to come home?"

"I'm already home," Ally whispers.

 **Sorry it's been forever since I updated. I had a lot of crap going on, still have a lot of crap going on. Plus, I kind of had writer's block with this crappy story. I'm going to try to make it better, I promise. Anyway, I missed you, my lovelies! Review if you missed me too!**

 **LoVe, KeNzIe**


	5. Author's Note

**Hey, guys... please don't hate me, but... I kind of don't want to write Austin & Ally anymore. I still like the show, I just haven't been watching as much lately and I haven't been keeping myself updated on all things Austin & Ally or Ross and Laura or even R5. My interests keep switching around, and I haven't really thought much about Austin & Ally. I think that's part of the reason I keep getting writer's block with the stories and why I keep disappearing off the face of the Earth for months at the time. So... I'm going to take a break from Austin & Ally. I may come back to it in the future (most likely will, actually), and may even update the stories randomly from time to time, but I just don't want to write it right now. But I'm always open to new stuff and I've been spending a lot of time on Netflix, so if you have a favorite movie or show that's on Netflix, suggest it in the reviews and I'll binge watch it and write a story about it. I'm really sorry again... But I love you, my lovelies, and I hope you still love me! Mwah!**

 **Love, Kenzie**


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